Transposing-keyboard for musical instruments



(No Model.) 3 Sheets--Sheet 1.

M. PHILIPPS.

TRANSPOSING KEYBOARD FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. No. 519,071. Patented May 1,1894.

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M. PHILIPPS. VTRANSPOSING KEYBOARD FOB, MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Patented May 1, 1894.

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M. PHILIPPS.

TRANSPOSING KEYBOARD FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. No. 519,071. Patented May 1, 1894.

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6 7 writ-a GRAPHING cuMPimY UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE.

MARTIN PHILIPPS, OF WILLTAMSVILLE, NEW YORK.

TRANSPOSlNG-KEYBOARD FO R MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 519,071, dated May 1,1894.

Application filed July 31, 1893. Serial No. 481.963. (No model.) i

To all whom, it may concern.-

1 3e it known that I, MARTIN PHILIPPS, a c 1t1zen of the United States, residing at Willlamsville, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Transposing-Keyboards for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to key boards for musical instruments which are provided with transposing mechanism whereby music written in any of the various keys may be played upon the white keys alone, like the scale of C on any ordinary organ or piano. Transposing key-boards of this character are descr bed and shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 354,733, dated December 21, 1886, and No. 466,907, dated January 12, 1892, both granted to me.

My present invention has for its object to simplify the transposing mechanism and to lmprove its construction so as to insure the full and prompt opening of the valves which control the reeds, or other sound producing parts of the instrument.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of three sheets: Figure 1 is a transverse sectional elevation of a reed organ containing my lmproved transposing mechanism. Fig. 2 1s a fragmentary internal rear view of the organ, showing the transposing and shifting b ars. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section 1n line 3-3, Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale. F1g. 4- 1s a top plan View of the levers for operatlng the transposing bars. Fig. 5 is a perspectlve view of one of the keys and its transposing devices, showing the position of the parts when a transposing bar is elevated and the key is in its normal position. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front view of the casing of the instrument, showing the means for holding the hand levers of the transposing bars in their depressed position.

Like letters and numerals of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the frame or casing of the organ and B the bellows which is operated by the pedals in the ordinary manner.

0 represents the white keys and C the black keys which are arranged in the customary way and fulcrumed at their ends, bemg held in place by the usual upright pins 0.

which passes through an opening in the top board of the wind chest and is guided with its upper portion in an opening in the base of the key board, as shown in Fig. 1. The keys are connected with these stickers by transposing devices, whereby each key may be caused to sound either its natural tone, its flat or its sharp, thus enabling any desired scale or key, whether containing sharps or flats, to be played on the white keys alone, similar to the scale of O on an ordinary instrument. This transposing mechanism is constructed as follows: F represents a series of upright lifting or shifting bars arranged side by side in rear of the keys and resting with their front edges against stationary longitudinal bars, g, g, located near the upper and lower ends thereof. These shifting bars are free to slide up and down. Under each key is arranged an upright rod or standard j which co-operates with three different actuating levers z'that control the valves of those reeds which sound the natural tone, the flat and the sharp of the corresponding key. The standards j are free to slide vertically, and are guided at their lower ends in sockets formed in a horizontal strip or bar j secured to the top board of the wind chest and with their upper portions in openings formed in the stationary bottom of the key board, as shown in Fig. 1, the upper portions of the standards passing through such openings and terminating in proximity to the under sides of the keys. Each of these standards is provided with three upright slots 7' through which pass the three actuating levers corresponding thereto. The three actuating levers belonging to each key are-pivoted at their rear ends to three differentshifting bars, so that upon raising such bars the fulcrums of the actuating lovers are shifted accordingly and the levers are raised in the slots of the standard. The front ends of the actuating levers bear upon collars or projections 6 arranged on the stickers of the corresponding reed valves, each sticker being provided with three of such collars, and the front ends of the levers being provided with forks which embrace the stickers, as shown in Fig. 5. The standards are of such a height that when they are in their normal or lowermost position, in which they rest upon the bottom of their lower sockets, the keys, when depressed, do not reach their upper ends, and hence do not sound any of the reeds. The slots of each standard are made of such a length that when the fulcrums of the actuating levers are in their normal or depressed position, they do not reach the upper ends of their slots, but stand a short distance below the same, so that they are unaltected by the vertical movement of the standards; while when the fulcrums of any of the actuating levers are raised, as shown by the position of the lowermost lever in Figs. 1 and 5, such elevated levers strike the upper ends of the corresponding slots and raise the standards into contact with, or within reach of, the under side of the keys above the same, as shown in the same figures, so that upon depressing such keys, the reeds controlled by the elevated lovers are sounded. When an actuating lever is thus raised and the corresponding key is struck, the lever is depressed by the standard, and the lever in turn depresses the sticker rod with which it is connected,thereby opening the valve operated by said sticker and sounding the corresponding reed. It will now be clear that by raising those actuating levers which control the reeds or other soundproducing parts belonging to a given scale, those tones only that constitute such scale will be produced upon depressing the keys.

K represents a series of horizontal transposing bars arranged on the rear side of the shifting bars, one above the other, whereby the series of shifting bars representing the same scale are simultaneously elevated, so as to raise the corresponding actuating levers. Each transposing bar is provided at its ends with forwardly extending arms which are pivoted to stationary upright walls It, arranged near opposite ends of the casing, and which permit the transposing bars to swing vertically. As many of these transposing bars are employed as there are scales, and the shifting bars corresponding to eachtransposing bar are each provided, immediately above the latter, with a pin or projection 70 against which the transposing bar bears and whereby the series of shifting bars is simultaneously elevated upon raising the corresponding transposing bar. These transposing bars are independently operated by hand levers L, terminating above the key heard, through the medium of intermediate levers M and connecting rods m m. The hand levers L are pivoted at their rear ends to a sta' tionary longitudinal bar N, and pass with their front ends through upright slots 0 formed in the front wall of the casing and having lateral shoulders 0, under which the smart hand levers may be engaged for locking them in position when depressed, as shown in Fig. 6. The projecting ends of the hand levers 70 are provided with knobs Z which bear the signatures of the scales or keys represented by them. The front connecting rods m connect these hand levers with the front arms of the intermediate levers M and the connecting rods m connect the rear ends of said lovers with the corresponding transposing bars K. Upon depressing any one of the hand levers L, the corresponding transposing bar K is caused toraise the shifting bars belonging to the scale represented by the depressed hand lever, thereby elevating the proper actuating levers and their standards, so that upon depressing any of the keys the tones constituting such scale are sounded. The key board may thus be transposed for any desired key or scale, and the tones of such key may be produced by the use of the white keys alone.

Upon unlocking and releasing a depressed hand lever, the elevated transposing bar and go the shifting bar and connecting parts are re turned by gravity to their former position.

In order to enable accidental notes to be played upon the instrument if desired, the black keys are preferably so connected with 5 the reed valves, that when the key board is set for a given scale containing sharps, the black keys upon my improved instrun immediately above these white keys w have been changed to tones produced by black keys of an ordinary instrument in t scale, are transposed a semi-tone below St white keys, that is, to the natural tone oil same; and so that when the key board is for a given scale containing flats, the bla keys upon my instrument immediately bGlt the white keys which have been changed it tones produced by black keys upon an ordi nary instrument in such scale, are transposed a semi-tone above such white keys, that is, to no the natural tone of the same. For this purpose, the connections are made as follows, only a single octave, beginning with the key 0 natural being given, as the connections of the remaining octaves are the same. For 1H5 convenience of reference, the shifting bars are numbered consecutively, beginning with 1, and the keys are described as connected with the reed valves through the shifting bars, reference to the intermediate actuating levers r 20 and the slotted standards being omitted for the sake of brevity. Key 0 is connected through shifting bar 1 with reed valve 0. Key C is connected through shifting bar 2 with reed valve Ct Key C is connected through shifting bar 26 with reed valve 13. Key Ct; is connected through shifting bar 2 with reed valve 0. Key 01;; is connected through shifting bar 3 with reed valve Cfi. Key Cfi is connected through shifting bar t with reed valve I 30 D. KeyD is connected through shifting bar 4 with reed valve Cit. Key D is connected through shifting bar 5 with reed valve D. Key D is connected through shifting bar 6 with reed valve D31. Key Dfi is connected through shifting bar 6 with reed valve D. Key DE is connected through shifting bar 7 with reed valve Dfi. Key Dfi is connected through shifting bar 8 with reed valve E. Key E is connected through shifting bar 8 with reed valve Dfi. Key E is connected through shift- 1ng bar 9 with reed valve E. Key E is connected through shifting bar 10 with reed valve F. Key F is connected through shifting bar 11 with reed valve E. Key F is connected through shifting bar 12 with reed valve F. Key F is connected through shifting bar 13 with reed valve Ffi. Key F1; is connected through shifting bar 13 with reed valve F. Key F 11 is connected through shifting bar 14 With reed valve Fit. Key F1? is connected through shifting bar 15 with reed valve G. Key G is connected through shifting bar 15 with reed valve Ffi. Key G is connected through shifting bar 16 with reed valve G. Key G is connected through shifting bar 17 with reed valve Gfi. Key G1; is connected through shifting bar 17 with reed valve G.

Key Gfi is connected through shifting bar 18- with reed valve Gfli. Key Gfi is connected through shifting bar 19 with reed valve A.

Key A is connected through shifting bar 19 with reed valve Gfi. Key A is connected through shifting bar 20 with reed valve A. Key Ais connected through shifting bar 21 with reed valve Afi. Key Afi is connected through shifting bar 21 with reed valve A. Key Afi is connected through shifting bar 22 with reed valve Afi. Key Ali is connected through shifting bar 23 with reed valve B. Key B is connected through shifting bar 23 with reed valve A5. Key B is connected through shifting bar 24 with reed valve B. Key B is connected through shifting bar 25 with reed valve 0. To allow the three levers co-operating with the same standard to clear one another, they are pivoted to their respective shifting bars at different elevations, and the slots in the standard are made of correspondingly different lengths, as shown.

The standards are preferably constructed of wood and their slots extend upward from the lower ends thereof, so that the slots may be readily passed over the actuating levers.

In order to permit the standards to be accurately adjusted with reference to the keys, an upright adjusting screw p, is arranged at the upper end of each standard, the head of which bears against the under side of the corresponding key when the standard is raised.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a transposing keyboard, the combination with the sound producing parts and the keys, each adapted to be connected with either of the sound producing parts corresponding to its natural tone, its sharp or its fiat, of actuating levers controlling said sound producin g parts and operated from said keys and shifting bars supporting said levers, whereby the fulcrums of the latter may be raised or lowered, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the keys and the sound-producing parts, of actuating levers controlling said sound-producing parts and operated from said keys, shifting bars connected with said levers, whereby the fulcrums thereof are raised or lowered, and transposing bars whereby the shifting bars belonging to the same scale are operated, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the keys and the sound-producing parts, of shifting bars, actuatin g levers connected with said shifting bars and controlling the sound-producing parts, and rods or standards operated by said actuating levers and adapted to engage with the keys, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the keys and the sound-producing parts, of shifting bars, slotted rods or standards arranged underneath the keys, and actuatinglevers connected with said shifting bars, arranged in the slots of the standards and controlling the sound producing parts, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the keys and the sound-producing parts, of stickers or operating rods controlling the sound-producing parts and having collars or projections, shifting bars, and actuating levers fulcrumed on said shifting bars, operated from said keys and bearing against the collars or projections of said stickers, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the keys and the sound producing parts, of the rods or stickers controlling the same and having projections, vertically movable standards arranged underneath the keys and having upright slots, vertically movable shifting bars, and actuating levers fulcrumed at their rear portions on said shifting bars and passing through the slots of the standards and bearing with their front ends against the projections of said stickers, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with the keys and the sound-producing parts, of a series of vertically movable shifting bars, intermediate actuating devices connected with said shifting bars, operated by the keys and controlling the sound producing parts, and vertically movable transposing bars, each engaging with the shifting bars corresponding to the scale represented by the transposing bar, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with the keys and the sound-producing parts, of a series of Vertically movable shifting bars having pins or projections, intermediate actuating devices connected with said shifting bars, operated by the keys and controlling the sound producing parts, and vertically movable transposing bars, engaging against the pins or projections of the shifting bars, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination with the keys and the sound producing parts, of a series of shifting bars, intermediate actuating devices connected with said shifting bars, operated from the keys and controlling the sound-producing parts, movable transposing bars, each engaging with the shifting bars corresponding to the scale represented by the transposing bar, hand levers arranged adjacent to the key board, and intermediate levers connecting said hand levers with the transposing bars, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 21st day of July, 1893.

MARTIN PIIILIPPS.

Witnesses:

JNO. J. BONNER, CARL F. GEYER. 

